Contrivance for amusement and entertainment



' Jan. 6, 1942. E. GATEwoob 2,268,932

CONTRIVANCE FOR AMUSEMENT AND ENTERTAINMENT Filed Sept. 14, 1938 I'Q] !',Z .719 N Patented Jan. 6, 1942 v ooNTRivANoaFoa -mbri eoatewooa,Network, Ngy Application September 14,,19'ss, seria1 No;- 229,901

10 Claims. (01. Zia-T26) The object of'thisdnvention is to providea water tunnel of any length desiredthrOugh-which passengers'may pass, surrounded'by'water'above, below and on the sides. r a

The object is to provideit in national-parks where'high waterfalls will provide a plentiful supply of Water under pressure, also in'places'of amusement where it may be profitable touse pumps to produce the pressure required. j

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is aside view of a water tunnelj'showing also pipes for supplying water and-air for-its operation. b

Figure 2 is a view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, revealing the position of 'water'inthe tunnel, trackway for passengers, and pipes for injecting water and air.

Figure 3 is an end view on the line 3-3 of -Figure1'; I

Figure 4 is a view on the'line 44 of Figure 3, showing a water trough to carry 'awa'y water that would otherwise fall over the entrance.

- Figure 5 is a front view of an alternative for inwhich'the flow of the water is-"induced'by means of fan blades rotating in the tunnelr v Figure, 6 isa sectional view of the tunnel "on the line 6'6 of Figure 5, disclosing also the fan in' the tunnel.

Figure 7 is a front View of another alternative form in which the tunnel rotates, carrying the water around with it.

In all forms of the invention water is held to the inner walls of the turmel by centrifugal force, leaving a passageway through the center of the tunnel, which is free of water.

In the form shown in figures numbers 1 to 4 water is injected at high velocity into the tunnel through the feed pipes 3, and enters at such a tangent to the walls of the tunnel that the water flows along the wall and around. When it completes its circuit it encounters the incoming stream which gives it an additional impulse sufficient to drive it around the circuit again. The tunnel quickly fills with a swiftly flowing stream of water travelling at such velocity that centrifugal force causes it to follow the tunnel wall. When the turmel is filled to the level of annular closure plate 4 it flows out at the ends or at such drains as may be provided. One such drain is shown under the trackway in Figure 3.

The minimum velocity necessary to overcome the force of gravity is established by the well known laws of centrifugal force. The formula is v=5.67\/l t where 0 equals the velocity of Water per second and R equals the radius of curvature in feet; :Thisformula derives-from the relation wherein 57 32.2 feet per second per-second.

I The velocity of the entering water at 3 must be". sufiicient to provide the-energy to cause the -wat'ero'n' the inner part nearest thetunn'el wall to flow swiftly enough to drag with it the surface water at the minimum required velocity. This requiredwelocity will depend on-"thediam'eter of the": tunnel, the number of injection nozzles,

- amount 1 of water'l injected, and other details :of "constructionw This canbe determined-by'the well known laws, of'-hydromechanics.- c v under pressure can beinjected'throug injection points or nozzles l9, :The' air will enter at high velocity and disperse in very-small bubbles in the water. It will aid in maintainingthe required flow-ofwater and permit the use of a m l ;am nb wa Passengers may walk through-the tunnel on the itrackway l or, ifpthe diameter istoo small,

they; may betransported-while lying downon a ;movable;-trackwayor other means of transportalln the alternative form-shown in Figures?) and 6 the'water is made to rotate by means of fan blades '5 inside the tunnel. The ends of the fan 6 and I are rotatably supported by the inner edges of the end piece 4 of the tunnel I.

The walkway 2 is supported independently of the tunnel by the foundation support I l.

The fan is driven by the motor 8 and belt 9.

In the alternative form shown in Figure 7 the tunnel i1 is rotated by the motor l2 and belt I3. The tunnel is supported by means of extension [8 of the tunnel, resting on bearings l6 which are carried on the stationary member l5, which is supported by the foundation H. The trackway 2 is also supported by the foundation I4.

As the tunnel rotates it drags the water around with it, aided by a rough inner wall or by vanes or other means that aid in dragging the water around.

I claim: I

1. A means of entertainment consisting of a horizontal tunnel or large pipe with both ends partially closed and with a circular opening in the two ends, together with a stationary walkway or track extending through the tunnel, with water in the tunnel, and with pipes carrying water and projecting it in such manner as to produce and sustain a rapid flow of water around 3. A device for entertainment consisting of a rotatable tunnel with both ends closed except for openings in the center of the ends, together with a stationary track extending through the tunnel,

Water in the tunnel, the tunnel being rotated with sufficient speed that the water is set rotating with the tunnel with velocity which causes the Water all to spread out on the inside of the tunnel and leave the track and passageway free of water.

4. A device for entertainment consisting of a tunnel with both ends closed except for openings in the center of the ends, a stationary track through the tunnel, and Water flowing around the circumference of the tunnel with. sufficient velocity to cause the center of the tunnel, including the trackway, to be entirely free of water and open for passage through the tunnel without entering the water.

5. A means of entertainment consisting of a tunnel with the ends partially closed around the circumference but with openings in the center, with water flowing around in the tunnel at a velocity which overcomes the force of gravity and leaves a means of passage clear of water through the tunnel, and means of inducing and keeping up the velocity of the water without interfering with the open passageway.

6. A means of'entertaimnent consisting of a tunnel with the ends partially closed around the circumference but with openings in the center of the ends, including also fan blades rotating inside the tunnel near the circumference with sufficient velocity to induce and keep up a rotary movement of water about the inner wall of the tunnel at sufficient minimum velocity to overcome by centrifugal force the force of gravity,

including means for rotating the fan blades without obstructing a passageway through the center of the tunnel and out at either end, including means for introducing water into the tunnel.

'7. A means of entertainment comprising a cylinder with the ends partially closed about the circumference, means appropriately spaced along the length and about the circumference of the cylinder for injecting streams of water into the cylinder in such direction and at such velocity that they will flow around the inner circumference of the cylinder and that the force of the streams of Water will impart sufiicient energy into the water which accumulates that a Wall of water will be formed and maintained about the inner wall of the cylinder leaving a clear passageway through a tunnel of water through which people or objects may enter and leave the tunnel without getting wet.

8. A means of entertainment as in claim 7 including also means for introducingair into the water under pressure and in the direction of flow of the water for the purpose of aiding in keeping up the velocity of flow of the water.

9. A means of entertainment comprising arotatable tunnel with the ends partially closed about the circumference but with openings in the centers of the ends, means for admitting water into the rotatable tunnel, means for rotating the tunnel at sufficient velocity that Water introduced into the tunnel will have sufiicient movement imparted to it in the direction of the rotation that centrifugal force will hold the water to the side of the tunnel and leave a clear and open passagewaythrough the center of the tunnel.

10. A means of entertainment consisting .of a horizontal tunnel with both ends partially closed and with a circular opening in the ends, together with a stationary walkway or track extending through the tunnel, with water 'in' the tunnel, and with rotatably mounted fan blades in the tunnel operated by outside power providing a circulatory motion of the water in the tunnel of such velocity as to produce a sufiicient centrifugal force to cause the water to spread out on the inside of the Walls of the tunnel and leave the center of the tunnel free of water.

ELBRIGE GATEWOOD. 

